We are once again in Rapid City.  We are home.

It was quite a process to get here, believe you me.  Between my unwilling heart and uncooperative weather, we tried for a week to leave but never got around to it. Jac was abundantly patient about it all for which I am abundantly thankful.

I am also thankful for all the “extra” things we accomplished in or additional week.  I got to meet and catch up with my “peeps” (Trish and Leslie, you rock my socks.  I miss you like a fish misses the sea.  Seriously.), the boys got in a day at school with Mama Syd, Tess went to school with Cindy, lunch with the “greats,” shopping, panaderia, more hot dog on a stick, more shopping . . . I’m tired just remembering! And that list doesn’t even include Max’s list.

The night before we were SUPPOSED to leave, Max asked Mama Syd if we were really taking off in the mrning.  When she answered that she didn’t think so, he breathed a sigh of relief and replied that was good, he still wanted to:

1. Go to the shop and see the big wrench (Papa’s workplace has tools bigger than the kids.  He wanted to see how he measured up.) and go up in the bucket of a bucket truck.

2. Go to the dairy.

3. Have luch at Del Taco and play in the play place.

4. Have dinner at the McDonald’s by the Del Taco and play in the play place.

5. Play air hockey at the other McDonald’s.

6. Go to the Firehouse.

Now, at the time, we thought we had just a single day left and I felt just a little panicky about cramming it all in or the possibility of telling him his list was going to have some items remaining.  However, we had 4 more days and all but one of the items -playing at the McDonald’s by Del Taco – was completed.  But they DID get to go to school with Mama Syd and then ride a huge escalator and a glass elevator at the mall.  That makes up for it, right?

Accomplishing the “Bucket List” (as Jac took to calling it) took some delegation and a lot of help from my parents and other generous folks.  It takes a village and all that jazz.

As yuou might imagine, a Bucket list creates lots of photo ops and we do have quite a few.  However, these from their visit to the fire house with Randy are some of my faves. Enjoy them. Perhaps they will inspire a bucket list for you, too!

P.S. Max is taller than the big wrench at Papa’s shop.  This is a big deal.